Pursuit of Truth
by Just Another Midnight Writer
Summary: All of us are running. Be it from someone or something. Or towards. What just depends on who you talk to. Not an exception to the rule, Marina could tell you. All you need do is ask.
1. Literal Meanings

Sooo here we go! Enjoy!~~~

Whoever coined the phrase "caught between a rock and a hard place" probably never meant it to be taken literally. Squeezed between the outside wall and a chuck of rubble that had possibly broken off from the roof of the building next door, Marina counted her lucky stars she wasn't claustrophobic. Not for the first time, she arched her head through the gap and around the corner of the warehouse. Gunners, two of them. Decked out in their tan and green best, looking bored out of their minds standing guard. It would've been so easy to draw her Smith and Wesson to put the two morons out of their misery.

Instead, she twisted away. Turned a full 180 and sat down. The point of a broken brick jammed into her spine, but at least she could sit instead of crouch. And have a clear view of the opening overhead. Her skin itched, constantly leaning around the corner to be sure Tweedledee and Tweedledum hadn't decided to take a walk.

"Come on, come on." Marina drummed her fingers against her thigh, looking up again.

At last there was movement. A head peeked out from the window above. When the young woman waved down at her, she waved back. After that a line of wire came twirling down. Followed shortly by the woman herself.

"Mara." she greeted after planting both feet on solid ground.

"Amelia." was replied, eyes darting a final time around the corner of the warehouse. "Ya got what I asked for?"

Nodding, Amelia dug deep into the pocket of her coat. She produced an envelop. "This should be proof enough for him. And more explanation than he deserves."

"Could've just lowered a basket. No need for personal delivery."

"What? The big bad PI worried?"

"The Gunners and I have a history." Marina scowled. "Bad history."

"Oh, I know." with a toothy smile, Amelia crossed her arms and rested a hand on her chin. "Winlock and Barnes are still all bent out of shape. Swear once they've dealt with MacCready, you're next."

"Of course." expression gone sour, she clicked her tongue. "Knew that job wasn't worth the trouble. What I won't do for a paycheck."

"Which is why my father hired you, I'm sure." Bitterness colored every word. Not for the first time, Marina scanned her. Truth be told, Amelia was more a girl than a young woman. Only 19 years old. Despite the weeks of dust covering her, a glossiness still colored her golden brown waves. Scar less skin and full figure betrayed the lifestyle she recently forsook.

As she clutched the letter, Mara said. "Are ya sure this is what ya want? Know ya don't exactly see eye ta eye, but the man did go through the trouble of hirin' me ta track ya down. That's gotta count for somethin'."

"And I'm sure he'll accept me and my _street rat_ friends back with open arms." she scoffed, derisive.

"He cares, Amelia." Marina leveled her with a glare. "That's more than a lota us can say. Take it from me, yer gonna live longer if ya go back ta Diamond City."

"Yes, and I'll spend those days with my father parading me around like a prized porcelain doll. The model daughter, speaking when spoken to, associating with only the upper echelon until he sees fit to marry me off to some bigoted old fool just like him." her jaw set in a fine line as she glowered into the distance. "No. I'd rather die today than spend another minute pretending to be what he wants."

That was that. With a hiss of laughter, Mara shook her head. "Alright. I know when I'm beat."

"Thank you." The smile that spread across Amelia's face was as wide and pure as it got.

Standing up, Marina dusted herself off. "Best I take off. If I hang round here any longer, I'm gonna lose it."

"Of course. Fred's waiting at the door. He'll distract the guards while you get away."

"What 'bout you?"

Amelia gave the line strapped to her front a shake. "Thomas and Aaron are on the other end. They're going to pull me back up. Far as the rest of boot camp knows, we spent lunch break hanging out in the rafters, like always."

"All y'all are somethin' else, ya know that?"

"I'll take that as a compliment-" her attention shifted. Head tipped back, her eyes went wide. Marina turned to look too.

 _"People of the Commonwealth,"_ the static of a radio echoed down to them, coloring every word, _"do not interfere."_

"A warship?" Amelia recoiled, covering her open mouth with both hands. The hum of low flying vertibirds rippled over the barren landscape. An unnatural wind slapping against them.

 _"Our intents are peaceful."_

A sharp snort escaped Marina. Because wasn't peace just the word for those armed planes and that gun mounted blimp? Steel gleamed off the sides of the ship from bow to stern, flight deck on up. As it lumbered past, she felt a gnawing at the pit of her stomach. The shadow of that behemoth obscuring what little sun peaked between the clouds.

 _"We are the Brotherhood of Steel."_

A line popped into Mara's head. "Deep inta that darkness peerin' , long I stood there, wonderin', fearin'." ~~~~

Just a short little introduction. Consider it a prologue. Not all the chapters will be this short, and I'll say right now chapter length is going to vary wildly from one to the next. Sorry in advance. I'm hoping by putting this up for readers it'll encourage me to finish it. As of right now I'm planning to post chapters on a weekly basis. Wednesdays, Thursdays or Fridays. If I'm feeling particularly motivated or I have a shorter chapter, I may post more than one at once.

Review please! All comments are welcome, but please be gentle on me because I'm an anxious bundle of nerves when it comes to posting my stories. Otherwise, thanks for reading!


	2. Complicated Conversations

Already breaking my self-imposed rule about posting days. In my defense, my Internet stopped working Tuesday and didn't get fixed until Saturday. ha ha ha. . .I'll do better this week, I promise!~~~

For better or worse, Diamond City was the keystone of the Commonwealth. Every major decision in recent regional history had been backed by the Diamond. With Goodneighbor as a notable exception, people outside the Wall were in awe. They marveled at the surpluses. Stores, schools, power. Hell, running water and multiple doctors made it worth risking life and limb in the Ruins. Year after year young hopefuls would dare to brave the radioactive wasteland to get there.

Having taken up residence in the city years ago, Marina was long disenchanted with the place. Even after being away for a month, the familiar clatter of the gate shutting at her heels and the weary eyes of the City Guards on her, she had to sigh.

"Do ya seriously have ta do this, Danny Boy?"

"Cities rules are the same as they were before you left, Mara." Danny finished patting down her pants and straightened to his full height. "You're all clear. Go ahead inside."

"Yeah, right. Yer just lookin' ta cope a feel." She threw a wolfish grin into his flushing face. He ushered her quickly into Diamond City proper.

Though plenty tired from the trek home, Marina didn't go straight to her apartment/office. Partly lacking interest in the rent bill no doubt waiting for her, and partly bracing for whatever potential jobs were hovering on her front doorstep. She wanted to relax. Settle in, if only a little.

With that in mind, she veered for the market. It was early afternoon, so the streets were jammed. Mechanics, power plant workers, water purifiers, the nine-to-fivers had been released for lunch. Every merchant from Sheng the water boy to good ole Arturo in the armory were buzzing. She managed to get a space at Power Noodles before the worst of the chaos set in, and took her time eating. A pair of familiar faces came to chat her up while she waited for the lunch crowd to disperse, updating her on the who, what, and when of the city. Both took off after a short while.

Just as she considered heading home, something interesting caught her attention. Or rather someone. A new face. Somehow Marina knew she would've recognized a head of curls that thick if she'd seen them before. Especially ones that blonde on a woman that small. Couldn't have been more than 5'2, the two rifles strapped across her back far too big. Poor thing had been backed into a proverbial corner by the guy who was practically a fixture in Diamond City's market.

"Hey, Quinn! Parker!" Mara waved them down.

Ever the entrepreneur, Parker kept that salesman quality grin pinned to his cheeks. "Ah, here! Ya don't need to take my word for it. Just ask Mara. My charge cards-"

"Yeah, I'm gonna stop ya right there, Parker." one hand on her hip, she jammed the opposite thumb sideways. "Take yer con-man bull up the block. Yer ruinin' my home comin' pullin' that shit in broad daylight."

"The fuck, Mara? You disappear for a month and suddenly you re too good to play with your old pal Parker?"

"Oh, please. I've always been too good for ya. Only hung round for the laughs."

"Good laughs."

"And guess what? Joke's over. Beat it. Unless ya wanna settle this like professionals?" she made a point of flipping the strap to her Smith and Wesson holster.

Both of Parker's hands shot up. "Fine. Fine. But you're going to regret this one day, Mara. Cause one day old Parker's gonna-"

Just pretending to put the gun in her hand sent him running. Once he kicked up enough dust for his own storm, Marina huffed a laugh and snapped the strap back in place. She glanced over her shoulder at his former victim. "Sorry 'bout that. He talks big and fast, but old Parker's mostly harmless. Blow him off and ya'll be fine."

A smile turned her cheeks cherub soft. "I'll keep that in mind. Thank you."

"Yer- not from round here, are ya?" head cocked, Mara couldn't help smiling back.

"That was fast. How can you tell?"

"Call it a hunch." she stuck out her hand. "Name's Marina. Go by Mara mostly."

"Savannah." after a good handshake, she let go.

"Well, Savannah. What brings ya ta our dear old dusty emerald?"

Soft, thin laughter escaped before the words. "It's complicated."

"Oh? Does complicated have a name?"

"Huh?"

"6'2? 182 lbs? Maybe disappeared out of the blue after an argument recently?"

"Ah. No. It s not quite like that. Though I am looking for someone." A delightfully delicate giggle rippled out of Savannah after she caught on.

"Yeah?" Marina straightened. "I might be able ta help with that. Ya got anyone lookin' inta it?"

"I do, actually. Valentine Detective Agency."

She hissed a laugh. "So Nicky beat me ta the punch again. Damn tinhead." When she noticed the odd look Savannah gave her, she said. "Ya met the agency's namesake, right?"

"Yes, I have. Do- you two know each other?"

"Been known ta run a job or two together, actually. We're in the same line of work. Only two private investigators in the city." Her chest puffed up with pride.

"Then would you be able to point me in the right direction? I've been there twice already, but . . ."

"I'll do ya one better and lead ya there. Was meanin' ta poke my head in on the old synth anyway." She waved and Savannah at her heels trotting like a lost puppy that finally found a home. As they weaved through the back streets and narrow alleys, they chatted about nothing in particular. How she liked the city, did she meet the mayor, and yeah McDonough was kind of an ass. Eventually, they came upon that heart shaped neon sign.

"Hey, Nick! Nicky!" Marina knocked on the outside walls all the way down to the door. Without pause, she pushed inside. Ellie was at her desk and acknowledged them with a mild nod. A not too unfamiliar scene was playing out in the main room.

"Come on, Nicky! I'm just asking for your opinion. It'd be a great quote."

"She's a client, Piper. Why don't you learn not to snoop on a woman's private affairs?"

Shoulders slouching, Mara sighed. "This a bad time, Nick?"

Reporter and detective turned to her in unison. The latter caught his voice first. "Mara?"

"Sup? Been awhile, my mechanical friend." She cheerfully saluted.

"Can say that again." Nick huffed. "Where have ya been? Thought that case you were running was only supposed to take a week."

"It would've if it had only been the one kid." Marina shrugged. "Determined lot too. Old man Radcliffe is in for some bad news."

"The mayor's friend?" Piper hit her with a frown. "I heard his daughter went missing a few weeks ago. You were looking into it all this time?"

"None ya business, Pipes."

"Come on, not you too!"

"Hey, hey, don't give me that. It's company policy."

Crossing her arms, Piper arched a brow. "You _are_ your own company, Mara."

"Don't make it any less true." she smiled broad and wolfish. Then refocused on Nick. "Never mind all that. Word on the street is ya've been stirrin' thin's up lately."

"Is that right?"

"Yeah. Thought I told ya ta keep yer ass out of trouble while I was gone?" when he shrugged and grunted noncommittally, Marina eyed him up hard. "Last I checked disappearin' for two week then goin' ta sniff around Kellogg's old place wasn't keepin' out of trouble, tinhead."

"It was a job. Both of them. Now if you'd let me speak to my client?" he nodded at Savannah.

"Fine. But ya still owe me an explanation."

The moment Savannah took the forefront, Piper took an interest. She leaned back, arms crossing as she did. "Well, well, speak of the devil."

"What happened? Where's your son?"

From there on, Marina sat back and listened in. It took her a few minutes, but she got the gist of what was going on. By then, Piper was saying. "I've been investigating those creeps for over a year now. The Commonwealth's boogeymen. Feared and hated by everyone. Sometimes they snatch people in the middle of the night. And sometimes they leave old synths behind to remind us that they're out there. But to this day, there's one thing nobody knows."

"Where the Institute actually is. Or how to get in."

A long, grim pause followed.

"Well, there's one person who _would_ know, right?" Marina found herself on the receiving end of three simultaneously bizarre looks. She pointed at Savannah. "They took yer boy ta the Institute, right? Then whoever took him there-"

"-must know where it is! I get it!" Piper clapped.

"Kellogg, huh."

"That's- going to be kind of difficult." hand running through her curls, Savannah ducked her head in an almost abashed way.

Nick caught onto her meaning. "I thought as much. He's already dead."

"So a murderer and a kidnapper gets his brains blown out by an avenging parent." Piper tasted the words the way most people tried on new clothes. "It'd be a great ending if we didn't still have the biggest mystery in the Commonwealth to solve."

"Wait. Yer sayin' _you_ killed Kellogg?" Marina wasn't sure she was hearing right.

Savannah frowned. "Is that so hard to believe?"

Yes was the immediate word on her tongue. Luckily Mara managed to catch it in the back of her throat and swallow, opting to hold up both hands and back step. Before anyone else could say a word, Nick had his metal hand pressed to his chin.

"Gets his brains blown out, huh? His brains. . ." he hm-ed and ha-ed.

"Oh no." shoulders sagging, Marina watched him. "Why don't I like the sound of this?"~~~~

There it is everybody. For anyone who hasn't caught on, Savannah is the Sole Survivor of this story. So, yeah. There's that.

Also I had a comment on Marina's speaking mannerisms and to clarify, she's _not_ supposed to sound Boston-ese. Or Irish like Cait.(Can you imagine trying to a Boston accent for EVERYONE? The sheer amount of work that takes to write would've been exhaustive. lol) I choose these particular verbal quirks because she sounds _different_ than everyone else. Not extremely so, but noticeably. There's a particular reason for that.

The last thing I'm going to say about it is I try to abide by specific rules for her way of speaking. If I mess them up I apologize, I am my only editor. It shouldn't be difficult, but if there is any difficulty understanding what she's saying, try reading it phonetically aloud. Hopefully that will help clear things up.


	3. Softie

This chapter went through two or three rewrites, plus a massive amount of editing. As in much more than I was expecting to do last minute. lol opps. That's what happens when you're indecisive about everything like me!~~~~

Marina hated the Memory Den. Worse, she didn't even have a good reason for it. Given it was smack dab in the middle of kill-mac-stabby town, it really was a decent spot. Certainly cozier than most. Irma wore too much makeup and dressed like a high price prostitute. But that aside she was pleasant enough. Dr. Amari being in Goodneighbor at all boggled the mind. She was a genuinely smart, kind woman.

In the end, she blamed the machines themselves for her disdain. Even in the best lighting, the wires and tubing- the limb, vacant looks of occupants when in use- made her skin crawl. Lounging on one of the benches in the waiting room, she shot a glare at the nearest one. She would've bet money the ghoul inside hadn't taken a breath in the near hour since she and Nick arrived.

Which brought her to the synth himself. He was across the room, chatting up Irma. And she ate up the attention like fresh honey. Even from the near opposite side of the room, Mara could see her pale blue eye shadow and pink dusted cheeks. The moment she stood up, both of them shot looks her way. Nick's questioning. Irma's not.

"Gonna get some air!"

He nodded acknowledgement. There was something smug in the upward curve of Irma's lips. Marina rolled her eyes on the way out. She didn't go far, finding a place to lean against the front of the Memory Den. It was late afternoon, getting close to early evening. Not entirely fond of the idea of spending overnight in Goodneighbor, she tapped her foot against the ground and clicked her tongue. A scan of the street ended without height nor blonde coiled hair of Savannah.

"What's going on, Mara?" Nick leaned on the door frame as he peered at her with those glowing golden eyes.

"Decided ta join me, did ya?"

"Thought you might like the company." he edged over to relax beside her on the wall when she shifted to give him room. While he dug his pack of cigarettes out of his pocket, he said. "Not like you to be this jumpy right off."

"Yeah, well, Goodneighbor don't exactly inspire confidence." Before he could put his pack away, she stole a stick.

While he was lighting up, Nick canted his head at her. "That the only reason?"

"If ya gotta know, this plan don't exactly sit easy with me. Ya know what Doc A's gonna say when we get down there, right?"

"I got a guess."

"Here's a hint, pretty sure live brains are a necessity here." While taking his lighter when he passed it to her, she cocked her head. "So how exactly is this whole thin' goin' ta go down?"

He shrugged. "Gotta see what the doc says. If we don't do something, we're going to lose this lead. And it's the best we have."

"I know." She scowled, crouching down and bringing the cigarette to her lips. "Just wish it didn't smell like rotten flesh and rat piss is all."

They went on like this, smoking, exchanging idle chit-chat. Each finished their respective smoke. Still no sign of Savannah.

"Hell, Nicky, I can't take this." Finally planting her once tapping foot down, she pushed off the wall and straightened. "I'm gonna take a walk. Get the nerves outta my system before thin's get serious here." He gave her a long look over, then nodded.

"Don't take too long."

"Yeah, yeah." Mara waved and wandered off. While she made her way to the market street, she clicked her tongue constantly. She hoped the crowd's restlessness would help relieve her own. Besides, compared to the rest of Goodneighbor, the market was relatively safe.

Mostly because Hancock hung out like a gargoyle in the upper levels of City Hall. Just thinking of the ghoul mayor slowed her down. On the way in there hadn't been height nor flaked skin of him. That didn't mean his red coat wouldn't come flapping out of one of the side alleys, all blood and burning fire.

Two steps onto the official start of the market street, however, she found herself smiling. "Well, well, if it ain't 451?" Her grin broadened as the other woman spun around. Then held out her arms. "How the hell are ya?"

"Really, Mari? You're still usin' that stupid name?"

"Hey, hey, it's Mara now. I've gone straight, remember?"

"Yeah and how many times have I told you it's Fahrenheit? Doesn't stop you from callin' me 451 every time you see my face." Still, she grabbed Marina up, clapping her on the back in a big bear hug. Once they separated, they started catching up. The usual pleasantries, how's life treating you, been keeping out of trouble, mostly, and the like.

"Are you tellin' me you aren't sick of those Diamond City creeps yet? I thought for sure you'd have ditched and come back to Goodneighbor by now."

"When I said I was goin' straight I meant it, 451."

"Neighborhood Watch is always lookin' for people. I could get you in easy. Sure Hancock wouldn't mind havin' you around again."

"Speakin' of, where is ye olde government official?" Arching her neck, Marina took another peak around. If only to be sure he wasn't hiding somewhere nearby just waiting for someone to say his name. "He ain't in house, is he?"

Fahrenheit shifted her balance and crossed her arms, letting out a long hissing breath. "You're not still playin' that hide and seek shit with him, are you?"

"Seek? What, has he been lookin' for me?"

"Not particularly. He definitely knows you're avoidin' him though." When Mara shot her a pointed look, she threw back. "I didn't tell him nothin'! I know better than to get between you two when you're bein' stupid about each other."

"Did ya have ta say it like that?" all her huffing and scowling fell on deaf ears. They started walking, b-lining for Daisy's shop.

Nearly the moment they stepped beyond the front threshold, the resident shopkeeper sauntered to the front counter. All smoking cigarette and suave motion as she rasped. "Look who it is. Just couldn't stay away could you, Mari?"

"From you? Never"

"Sweet talker. You been teaching MacCready?"

"What? Ya mean that baby faced kid has been flirtin' with ya behind my back? Say it ain't so!"

Fahrenheit made a show of rolling her eyes at them, trying to hide the smile threatening to creep across her face. While she and Daisy chuckled throatily, Mara slumped heavily on the counter top. When her shopkeeper counterpart offered her a cigarette, she waved it away. Which appeared to surprise the old ghoul. None the less, she replaced them and rested an elbow on the table too. "How'd that job you were working go, Mari? Did you find the kid?"

"Yeah. Alive too. Thanks, by the way. Ya gave me a solid tip."

"Glad to hear it."

"What job's this?" Fahrenheit glanced between them, hand resting on her cheek.

"Eh, the usual. This Diamond City kid ran off. Her pops asked me ta track her down."

"What happened?"

"Found her. She joined up with the Gunners. In the middle of their boot camp as we speak."

"How old did you say she was again? 19?" when she gave a nod as answer, Daisy exhaled a long sigh. "God help her."

Nose wrinkling, Fahrenheit glanced over her shoulder. At the market street. Her eyes narrowed. "I give her a week before she goes runnin' back to daddy dearest."

"For her sake, I hope so. This world'll eat you alive if you let it." Daisy followed her line of sight.

After giving her two counterparts a long look, Mara faced forward. Into the shop. The shelves were filled with boxes, valuable supplies stacked and packed together. And that was only what she could catch through the narrow gap into the back. "I dunno. Call me a softie, but I think she'll make it. She had that look 'bout her."

"Softie." They replied. Head falling back, she barked a laugh. The three huddled together, gossiping. Daisy got Marina all caught up with the local drama, riff raff and rumors. Around the newspaper she took from the corner of the counter, Fahrenheit would add in an odd comment between flipping pages. As always dull moments were few and far between in Goodneighbor. For a minute Marina could almost remember what it was like. Forget just what kind of place this town was and wonder why she'd left at all.

Just almost.

After a time, she arched her neck, trying to steal a peak at the paper Fahrenheit had splayed out across the counter in front of her. "Wait a sec. Is that a copy of _Publick Occurrences_?" When it was confirmed with a flippant show of the front page, Marina turned to Daisy. "Pfft, what? Where'd ya steal that from? Ain't that illegal ta have round here or somethin'?"

"Thought you of all people would've heard of freedom of the press."

"Besides, even if she's Diamond City, this girl writes some good shit. Did you read the one 'bout McDonough a few weeks back?" Snickering under her breath, Fahrenheit made a circle with her thumb and index fingers. "Priceless, my friend."

"If you were the only one I passed intel along to, Mari, I'd have gone broke by now." as she stubbed out her cigarette, Daisy nodded at the paper. "Piper passes these along to me for free so long as I give her anything interesting that comes my way. Gives me some extra caps on the cheap."

"Ever the entrepreneur- hey! What's that?" Marina pushed shoulder to shoulder with Fahrenheit, jabbing at the open page. The title read _The Woman Out of Time: An Exclusive Interview!_

"Oh, hey. She managed to rope in that woman that showed up a few weeks ago. What was her name again?

"Savannah." Daisy supplied.

"Yeah, yeah. I remember her. Short chick, poofy hair, had a gun 'bout as long as she was tall. Finn tried pullin' a fast one of her and Hancock finally got fed up enough to kill his ass." Rolling her eyes, Fahrenheit spared a glance for Mara. "Actually, he took a shine to her right away. Same way he did you back in the day. We've been playin' mostly nice with her for now."

"She's my client."

"What?"

"Yeah! Nicky and I are consultin' the good doctor on somethin'. We're waitin' on her ta show up before we get started."

"Don't you mean were?" As she arched a brow, Daisy regarded her oddly. "Swear I saw her wander in a while ago. It couldn't have been more than five minutes before you showed up."

"Son of a bitch." Marina pushed off from the tabletop. Then, in an afterthought, she snatched the newspaper out from under Fahrenheit's nose. "Ya don't mind if I take this with me, do ya? Thanks, Daisy!"

When she got to the Memory Den, she ignored Irma's startled yelp and ran downstairs. She burst into the basement, bright clinical lights and dusty tile. Amari jumped out of her skin. "What are you doing?"

Marina was a little more focused on Nick and Savannah both sitting in those unnerving pods. Neither so much as twitched at her sudden arrive. "What's goin' on here, Amari?"

The good doctor gave her a rundown of what happened in her absence. From attempting to hook the piece of Kellogg's brain to Nick's hardware. To linking Savannah up to him in order to get past the encoded memories. Which they both agreed to, of course. Marina clenched her fists and ground her teeth. Because of course that stupid, no good, heroic synth would take the chance of- she didn't even know what!- to get to some snot nosed brat.

"We're almost through the last of the memories. Have a seat while we finish up."Amari adjusted her earpiece and returned to huddling over the console. And there was little else that could be done but follow what the doctor said. Mara found a bench against the wall and plopped down. For all the reassurance that they would be done soon, she felt the time pass in tortuous slowness. The buzzing of both lounges mingling together with Amari's rapid fire typing and soothing voice, created a bizarre white noise that grated on her eardrums. Her skin itched, hair on the back of her neck standing on end. She alternated between tapping her foot and toying with her Smith and Wesson until the unearthly rattling finally ceased.

As true, blissful silence settled in, Mara stood up. Waited, looking between the pods. Nick moved first, fingers then his entire arm twitching. Amari opened the pod and he sat up. Or rather sagged forward, his elbows dropping to his knees and head following after.

"How do you feel?" The doctor pressed a hand on his back.

Nick dragged his partially skinned hand down the front of his face. "Like hell and high water. My head. . ."

"Easy. Don't try ta stand up yet."

"Mara?" he tipped his head to squint up at her when she took the side unoccupied by Amari.

"Why ya always gotta go gettin' inta trouble without me, tinhead?" she tugged his hat down over his eyes. Where she hovered while he got checked over. Something was said about leftover impressions, but what Mara got from it was to keep an eye on him. Which she would've done either way. Once they had the all clear, she slide under his arm and hefted him to his feet. She helped him plod up the stairs.

"Didn't know you were so fussy, Mara." he murmured on the way.

"Ah, well, just call me a softie."

"Softie."

With a wry laugh, she steered him to the bench in the waiting room. Then took a load off, dropping down beside him. "Don't go spreadin' it around. I gotta reputation ta keep up."

Nick released a throaty laugh. After a minute of sitting in silence, he dropped his head on her shoulder. Where she let him stay even as Savannah finally appeared from the basement.~~~~

So. Much. Editing. The first time I wrote this Marina ended up being more of a passive observer in what happened, so I decided she needed to do something. It took a long time to figure out just what, especially because she couldn't get super involved with anything without abandoning the entire reason she was there, which wouldn't make much sense. Then I had the opposite problem, having x amount of details I wanted to include, so I ended up cutting up massive sections to try to focus on the important parts and- ugh.

This is long. Not the best. But here it is. (Please don't eat me alive lol)


End file.
